


The one that moves me like nobody else

by TheAllMagicalCreature



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Fights, Getting Together, M/M, Pack Dynamics, but then michael fucks up, dan is pack alpha, does that make max pack mom?, lando and michael are cute soft boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:55:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28436493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAllMagicalCreature/pseuds/TheAllMagicalCreature
Summary: The beginning of Lando and Michael's story is rocky and ugly, but it's the truth.orThe one where Lando joins a pack and gains more than he bargained for
Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen, Michael Italiano/Lando Norris
Kudos: 116





	The one that moves me like nobody else

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaaayyyyyy hello there, I hope you enjoy this fic!   
> Kudos and comments appreciated

“Lando, this is everyone. You know Alex and George, this is Charles and this is Michael.” Max nods at the pack members as he mentions them. Lando is standing half a step behind him, lifting his hand in a wave. “Hi, nice to meet you.” He says, gaze sweeping over the men before him. They’re all sitting around the coffee table in Dan’s apartment, lounging on couches. Charles is draped over Alex, George leaning against the pair. Michael and Dan are on the other sofa, legs touching. Lando’s gaze lingers on Michael for a couple of seconds. He looks familiar. He’s the only one Lando hadn’t officially met yet, but Lando thinks he’s seen his face before. 

He must be looking for too long, because Michael gives him an awkward smile and says “Hi, Lando. I think we’re both taking Smith’s econ class this year, right?”. Lando feels his cheeks heat up at being caught staring and unconsciously moves a bit more to the side so he’s hidden by Max. “Yeah, I think so.” Lando replies. His scent must be noticeable, because Dan clears his throat and motions to the free sofa. “Sit down, relax. Do you want anything to drink?” Lando thanks him and asks for water, following Max to the sofa. 

He tries to calm down, tries to tell his nerves that this isn’t an interview, that he’s not being judged, but it’s difficult. There is some kind of pressure on this meeting, and it’s not just him meeting the pack of his best friend. This evening could decide his future, this might become  _ his  _ pack. Max told him they’re not gonna judge him and that it’s not all about tonight, that they just wanna get to know him as Max’s friend, but Lando’s hands are shaking. Max must notice, because the dutchman takes his hand in his and squeezes reassuringly. Lando relaxes a little and thanks Dan when he hands him the glass of water.

The atmosphere is relaxed, if you don’t count Lando’s scent. Alex and George are bickering while Charles tries to get both their attention, and Michael and Daniel are observing the three while quipping in every once in a while to rile them up or calm them down. Lando curls his feet up onto the sofa and leans against Max, who welcomes him in and wraps an arm around him. 

Lando can’t help but be drawn to Michael while he’s observing them. Michael is an Alpha. Lando could tell, even if Max hadn’t told him beforehand. Michael has the calm reassurance most alpha’s have, but his doesn’t feel so oppressive. Michael seems completely comfortable to let Daniel take the lead. A relaxing and cooling feeling washes over Lando as Michael glances at him and offers him a smile, and he doesn’t hesitate to smile back.

The evening goes relatively well. Lando is glad they don’t bombard him with questions, instead it’s as if he’s hanging with old friends. Max doesn’t leave his side, and Lando is grateful. Even though he’s there of his own free will, he’s still a little uncomfortable around Alphas. Lando shivers as his thoughts shift to his first year of uni. He tries to shake it off, but something must betray him, as all eyes in the room are on him now. Lando can feel his cheeks burning bright and he coughs awkwardly. “Are you okay?” Max whispers softly. Lando pastes on a big smile. “Yeah, I’m good, sorry. Just memories.” 

They don’t seem to buy it, but they don’t push him and soon the conversation returns to its normal flow. Lando relaxes back against Max, and the other man rubs his arm comfortingly. Lando feels alright. Maybe this pack idea isn’t so crazy.

~~

Lando starts hanging out with the pack more often. He’s pretty familiar with the pack Alpha, Daniel, already, seeing as he’s best friends with Max and the blonde is impossible to detach from Dan. It’s a good thing, because if he didn’t know Daniel separately from the pack first, he might not have gotten as comfortable with him as he is now. As it is, he got familiar with Daniel the goof, who’s head over heels in love with Max, before he met Daniel the pack Alpha. 

He’d seen Charles around the campus before, it’s impossible to miss him, really. He kicks up quite a fuss in lectures and when he’s not talking his clothes and general demeanour speak for him. Charles is  _ pretty.  _ He’s beautiful and he knows it, uses it, even. It’s hard to get ahead in this world as an Omega, but Charles throws everything he has into battle. He’s sweet, too, though. Lando has seen him stand up for others louder than anyone.

George and Alex are two betas who he knows already, from some of his classes. He’s been paired up with them for a couple of assignments, and he’s always felt comfortable around the pair. Lando still isn’t sure if they’re a couple, or if they’re just very cuddly with each other.

And then there’s Michael. The one who caught his eye immediately. Lando feels bashful as he thinks about the past few weeks spent with the Alpha. Michael is Dan’s second, and they’re magic to behold. They’ve been friends since they were born, and everyone can tell. The Alphas are handsy together, constantly pushing and pulling at each other. Lando would be jealous if he didn’t already know that Dan doesn’t look at anyone but Max. The two are just very in sync and it creates an amazing atmosphere for the pack. 

Lando hasn’t ever felt so immediately comfortable with an Alpha until he met Michael. The Alpha always goes up to him when he sees him on campus and they walk together. It’s become a little ritual where Michael waits for him after his wednesday evening class, which ends just after Michael’s, and he walks Lando back to his dorms. It’s been very nice to get to know him a little. Lando is still very cautious, though. The Alpha might be sweet and gentle now, but Lando can’t take any chances. He’s not told anyone about his crush, and he doesn’t intend to anytime soon. The whole pack thing is enough to deal with already, his crush can wait. 

~~

A few more weeks go by and Lando is officially in. He’s been integrated in the pack for a while now, but Daniel officially offers him a place when they’re all sat watching television on a regular Saturday evening. Saturday evenings are pack evenings, and Lando has been attending them for weeks, never feeling like the odd man out. He’s cuddled between Charles and George when Daniel mutes the tv from where he’s sitting on a couch with Max on his lap. Lando looks at him with a confused expression until Dan smiles at him softly. “Lando, how would you like to be here for every Pack night?” He asks. 

Lando lets out a confused noise, slightly distressed. Charles whines and pets him softly. “I thought I already could..?” Lando wants to ask and Max frowns before batting at Dan’s leg. “Don’t freak him out.” Max grumbles and Dan makes a shushing noise before turning to Lando again. “Of course you can, baby. I just mean, how would you like to officially join the pack?” Lando perks up immediately. The tips of his ears turn pink as he feels everyone’s gaze on him. He looks around and sees nothing but excitement on everyone’s faces.

“I… Yeah? Please.” Lando manages to squeak out. A wide grin spreads across his face and there’s silence before everyone bursts out in cheers. Lando can’t do anything but laugh as he’s buried in a pack pile, everyone trying to hug him at once. He feels tears come to his eyes and he buries his face in someone’s shirt, laughing happily. Nothing has ever felt so good. 

~~

Being part of the pack comes with many perks. Lando has a cuddle buddy any time he wants, now. Charles is as needy as an Omega can be, and Lando thoroughly enjoys being sat on by him. He also has someone to sit with in most of his classes, now. He has to cook less. When his packmates saw the mountain of instant noodles in his cupboards, they were appalled, and so the tradition of eating at Daniel's apartment is born. It's big enough, and Dan is the only one who doesn't have a roommate. Lando spends most of his nights with the pack these days, hanging, studying, watching movies together. It's cozy and it's comfortable and he's  _ happy.  _

The thing that most stands out, though, is that he doesn't feel so scared around Alphas anymore. Sure, the overly macho having-to-prove-something Alphas still raise his hackles, but Lando doesn't think that will ever change. He's not scared shitless anymore, though, and he hasn't had an anxiety attack in weeks. 

Two weeks after joining the pack, Lando walks up to Dan during one of their pack nights. He shuffles awkwardly on his feet as Dan finishes talking to Michael. Dan notices him and smiles widely, holding out an arm for Lando to curl up under, which he does. "Hey, buddy, what's up?" Dan asks. Lando glances between Dan and Michael hesitantly. Daniel notices and shoots Michael a look, who seems to hesitate. Dan silently raises an eyebrow, which causes Michael to finally look away and leave them alone to talk. Lando softly rumbles in thanks when they're alone. "D'you wanna talk about something?" Dan asks gently. Lando nods. 

"I just thought you should know… as Alpha, ya know." Lando starts, struggling a bit through his words. Dan just waits, making comforting noises to soothe the Omega. "I think Max may have told you some already, but. A couple years ago, I was with an Alpha." Lando shudders, and Dan pulls away to grab at a blanket, draping it carefully over Lando's shoulders. He smiles in thanks. "His name was Carlos. He wasn't very.. he's not like you, or Michael. Well, he was at first, but-." Lando huffs in annoyance, wanting to just come out and say stuff, but not knowing how. Daniel squeezes his shoulder softly. Lando breathes in and out slowly. "He used his Alpha voice on me,  _ a lot _ . I felt like I wasn't my own person anymore, just doing what he ordered me all the time. It was awful." Lando explained. His voice was shaky, but not as much as when he told Max, and he's kind of proud of himself. 

The air is thick with Dan's sour scent, and  _ oh, Max really didn't tell him,  _ he thinks. Lando squirms a bit, uncomfortable at making his pack Alpha smell like that, but Daniel quickly wraps him in his arms and rumbles soothingly. "I'm so sorry, Lando. No Alpha should ever do that." His voice is tense with emotion, and Lando cuddles into his chest, mumbling that it's alright. He can feel Dan shake his head, but neither of them says anything for a while, just enjoying each other's embrace and revelling at how lucky they both are to be in this pack. Lando sniffles a little and pulls back, offering a watery smile. "I just wanted to say thanks. You're a great pack Alpha and I'm really grateful you wanted me." He says bashfully, eyes on the floor. "Fuck, Lando,  _ of course _ . You're fucking great, I'm honored to be your pack Alpha." Dan replies.

Lando feels like a burden has been lifted off his shoulders. His pack Alpha knows now, and he's assured him that nothing of the sort happens in their pack. He actually pulled up a list of pack rules he had made at the start, and there it was, in black ink:  _ No Alpha in this pack is allowed to use their Alpha voice on pack members, except the Pack Alpha.  _ He'd gently encouraged Lando to tell the others as well, but Lando had shrugged noncommittally and it had been left at that.

Telling the others feels like too much right now, but the existence of the rule makes Lando feel better and when they return to the common area, he feels bold. So bold, that he actually sits down next to Michael on the couch. He can see Max raise his eyebrows from the corner of his eye, but he doesn't pay any attention, because Michael makes a pleased sound and lifts an arm, which Lando gratefully curls up under. He feels jittery, but tries to tamp it down and cuddle Michael like it's normal, like the other pack members always do. He can get used to this, he realizes.

~~

It's Wednesday evening, and he's just walked out of his class, which ended at 9PM. Michael is always standing just outside the building, waiting to walk him home, but this time when Lando gets outside, there's no one there. Lando can't help but let out a soft whine as he looks around, brows pulled together. Has something happened? Lando pulls out his phone to check if Michael sent him a message, but there's nothing. Lando pushes his hands into his pockets and puffs out a breath of air, watching as it turns to a cloud from the cold. 

He waits around for a couple more minutes, but his nose is starting to turn red from the cold and he feels a bit foolish, which is crazy. It's not like he's been stood up for a date. Lando grumbles under his breath and almost starts walking when he hears his name being called out. He swivels around and sees Michael running up to him. His usually neat hair is a mess, his cheeks are red and he's out of breath when he stops in front of Lando. "Lando, I am so sorry." He starts, still trying to catch his breath. "Class ran late and I tried to leave early but the professor called me out and then had me recite the-" He's rambling and Lando can barely understand what he's saying. 

"Michael, it's okay, it's fine." He interrupts and Michael stops dead in the middle of his sentence, eyes slightly wide. "I just.. I like our walks and I'm sorry I'm late." Michael says honestly. Lando starts a little at the sincerity displayed on his face.  _ Michael likes their walks _ . Lando feels heat rushing to his cheeks and he looks at his feet. "So do I." His words are mumbled, but when he looks up Michael is grinning widely. Lando can't help but smile back, and in the ensuing silence they start walking. 

The quiet is comfortable, if a little tense with nerves from both sides. Lando's hand bumps Michael's a few times and he's almost embarrassed, but then Michael turns his hand and opens it to softly graze against Lando's. They're almost holding hands, and in a bold rush Lando intertwines their fingers, eyes resolutely staring forward. Michael doesn't let go, just tightens the grip a little and Lando can feel butterflies in his stomach. 

When they arrive at Lando's dorm, they slowly turn to face each other. They stand smiling at each other for a couple of seconds before Lando clears his throat. "I should.." He motions towards the door with his free hand and Michael nods. "Yeah." It's quiet again for a few seconds, neither of them letting go of the other's hand. Then they both speak up at the same time. "Do you-" "Maybe we can-" They both cut themselves off and laugh awkwardly. "You go." Lando says with a grin.

"I was wondering, if maybe you wanted to go for coffee tomorrow. After class. With me." Michael says, and Lando can see a soft dusting of pink covering his cheeks. He's adorable. Lando nods enthusiastically. "I'd love that."

~~

Lando isn't sure if it's a date or not, but when he calls Max that evening, he doesn't seem to have that issue. "Of course it's a date! The two of you are going for  _ coffee.  _ Lando, you have to tell me everything after. You and Michael are going to be perfect together! And we can go on double dates!" Max's voice sounds over the phone. Lando groans as he lays down on his bed. "Calm down, he's not even courting me yet." Lando says, almost regretting calling his friend.

"Semantics. What are you gonna wear?" Lando groans again loudly, but really he's thankful to have a friend who can freak out with him over this stuff.

The coffee-going appointment (he can't call it a date, he doesn't dare to yet) goes pretty well. Lando is jittery and nervous, but seeing the same in Michael kind of calms him down. They talk like they usually do, except there's a bit more tentative touching of hands and feet, which leaves Lando a blushing mess. Michael walks him home after and Lando considers inviting him in, but doesn't wanna seem too eager, and so they say goodbye with a lingering hug.

Lando calls Max immediately after and gushes to him about how it went. His friend seems genuinely happy for him. Max tells him Michael called Dan before the 'date', asking permission to go out with one of the pack Alphas Omegas. It warms Lando's heart, he feels cared for and safe. He should've known it couldn't possibly last.

~~

Lando and Michael do this dance for about two weeks. They're sort of dating but not actually courting. Max calls it pre-courting. It's lovely, and they go on lots of dates. Lando is over the moon, head over heels in love. They're cuddling during one of their pack nights when Michael kisses his cheek softly and asks him to join him in the kitchen to make some popcorn for the pack. Lando agrees with a giddy smile, ignoring the waggled eyebrows from his friends. 

"How are your exams going?" Michael asks as Lando hops up onto the counter, pulling at the strings of his hoodie. Lando shrugs and wiggles a hand in the air. "Meh. Going okay, I think." Lando says, watching as Michael gets out the supplies to make popcorn. "I'm sure you're going to rock them, you've been studying really hard." Michael says earnestly and Lando smiles. "Hm! Should I put on some music?" Lando asks excitedly. Michael smiles softly and holds out his own phone. "Here, mine's already connected to Dan's system." Lando takes it and starts tapping away, trying to find a good song.

It's quiet for a few seconds, Michael puttering away making popcorn with Lando on the counter looking for music. The silence is disturbed by the bleep of an incoming message.

_ Hey, Mikey. I just wanted to thank you again for last night! It was amazing. Maybe we can do it again sometime soon?  _

Lando freezes. He didn't mean to look at the text message, but it popped up onto the screen and he read it before he knew to stop. 

"Lando? What's wrong?" He hears Michael ask, but his body feels like it's underwater and the voice sounds far away. There's some sort of noise in his ears that's getting louder and he can feel his heart pounding, his hands are sweaty-

And then Michael's face is in front of his, holding him gently. Too gently. Lando jerks back, pushing at Michael's arms before he shoves the phone into his chest. His vision is blurry as he hops off the counter. "I thought-" Lando tries, but nothing else comes out. All the things he wants to say sound too desperate, too whiny. 

"Guys? What's going on?" Dan's voice sounds from the living room, but neither of them respond. Michael glances at his phone in confusion and Lando watches as his face turns to understanding. "Yeah. Exactly." Lando sounds bitter, but he thinks he's allowed. 

"Lando, it's not what you think, I swear-" Michael starts, holding his hands up in mock innocence. "Please let me explain." Lando shakes his head roughly before pushing past Michael. Michael doesn't let him get to the door, blocking his way. "Let me by." Lando says shortly. "Lando,  _ please.  _ Just hear me out. It's just a-" Tensions are rising. The air is filled with sour scents and Lando can hear movement from the living room, the others must be getting worried. "I don't want to hear it!" His voice is high and squeaky. "I want you to leave me alone!" Lando's voice is filled with frustration. He pushes past Michael again and moves to open the door when-

**_"Lando please."_ **

Lando drops to his knees immediately. His mind goes hazy and he bares his neck on instinct. 

That's when shit breaks loose. 

Dan rushes through the door with wide eyes, taking in the scene before jumping towards Michael. His eyes are almost red with fury as he grabs Michael by the throat and drags him backwards until he's pressed up against the wall. Dan's face is inches from Michael's. 

Max rushes in and drops down next to Lando, who's started hyperventilating. "Breathe, baby, breathe. Please, Lando, calm down. You're alright, you're safe, I promise." Max keeps up a litany of sweet nothings as he wraps his arms around Lando, rocking him gently. Lando sobs harshly, gripping Max's shirt like it's his lifeline. 

Michael is scrabbling at the hand at his throat, trying desperately to get more air but Daniel isn't budging. " _ What the fuck,"  _ Dan snarls, moving his hand so that Michael is forced to bend his head as far up as he can,  _ "did you just do?"  _ Michael whines loudly, trying to bare his neck even more and appealing to his Alpha, unable to speak. Dan drops him just before Michael starts turning too red in the face and Michael drops to his knees, dragging in garbled breaths and rubbing his throat. 

"Alpha, please, I am so sorry-." His voice is crackly and rough but Daniel doesn't seem to care. He raises a fist and swiftly punches Michael in the face. The second in charge takes it without trying to lift his hands, which in turn makes Daniel angrier. "Defend yourself!" Dan shouts, sending a tremor through Michael's body. Michael just shakes his head and takes another blow to the face.

Dan grabs Michael's hair and forces him to look him in the eyes, before hissing, "I don't wanna see your face again." He roughly tugs his hand out of his hair before stepping back. Michael whines pathetically, gazing up at his Alpha with tears in his eyes. He wants to speak, but Daniel interrupts him.  **"Get out."** Michael scrambles to get up and chances one last look at Lando, who's still on the floor, before running out of the house.

~~

Lando spends most of his time in bed, after that. He’s taken up residence in Dan’s guest room, not wanting to be alone. His pack mates are there when they can, Lando is almost never by myself, usually cuddled up against someone. 

Daniel has assured him that Michael is no longer welcome in their pack, which breaks Lando’s heart even more. He hadn’t meant to ruin any friendships. A letter comes in, a week after the incident. Lando can hear his packmates arguing over something in the living room, and when he comes out he sees it. The letter is in Max’s hand, and from his place by the door Lando already recognizes the handwriting as Michael’s. When they see him, everyone turns silent. Lando shuffles on his feet, pulling his hoodie closer around him. He hesitates before holding out his hand.

Max looks around at the others before slowly moving forward and handing Lando the letter. “You don’t have to read it, you know. You don’t owe him anything.” Max says softly. Lando smiles a little in thanks. “I know. He deserves to explain, though.” Lando says, before shuffling back into the room.

He closes the door behind him with a click, and leans against it as he lifts the letter and looks at it. It’s a regular envelope with his name on it. No stamp, which means he must’ve brought it here himself. Daniel must be furious, he thinks. Lando breathes in and out slowly before opening the letter. 

When he walks back into the living room, all eyes turn to face him. The pack is sitting on the couches quietly, obviously waiting for his return. Lando shuffles forward and flops down in between Dan and Max, who cuddle him as soon as he sits. “Well?” Charles asks, gaining some harsh glances from the others, but he just shrugs.

Lando sighs. “The text was from a kid he tutors.” Lando says, cheeks a little red. He overreacted, badly. The others seem to relax a little as well. “He apologized, a lot. He feels awful. He said he shouldn’t have used his Alpha voice on me, that it accidentally slipped out because he was afraid he was gonna lose me.” Lando can hear Daniel hiss a little at his words and frowns at him. “He’s excusing the fact that he broke a rule?” Dan’s words are sharp, and Lando shrugs a little. “Not really. He doesn’t ask me to forgive him, just says how sorry he is and that he’d never do it again, and if I want him to stay away from me he’d comply.” Lando mumbles the last part, his heart aching a little at the thought of never seeing Michael again.

He’d overreacted to the text, that much was obvious to him now, but Michael should not have used his Alpha voice. “He  _ knows  _ your history, it shouldn’t have slipped out regardless.” Daniel says, getting a bit agitated. Lando frowns and turns to him fully now. “Wait what? No he doesn’t. Did you tell him?” Lando asks rapidly. It’s Dan’s turn to frown now. “No of course I didn’t tell him, I thought you-..” Dan trails off, his eyebrows raising. “Oh.” 

Lando sighs. “Yeah, he didn’t know.” Daniel shakes his head a little and says “He still shouldn’t have done it. The rule is there for a reason.” Lando shakes his head at that. “Yeah, he broke a rule, but that doesn’t mean he should get kicked out of the pack.” Lando says with force. The atmosphere is a little tense, everyone watching the exchange between the two. Dan purses his lips at that, but doesn’t immediately have a comeback.

“I agree.” Charles speaks up. Heads turn to look at him now and Lando smiles a little in encouragement. “He did a shitty thing, and he shouldn’t just be excused from that, but kicking him out of the pack is a little extreme. And I miss him.” Charles shrugs a little, cuddling into Alex’s side for comfort as he confronts their pack Alpha. Dan looks around at the rest of the pack. “How do you guys feel about this?”

There’s a few more grunts of agreement before Dan turns to look at Max, his mate. Max just shrugs and smiles a little. “In the end it’s your call, but we all miss him like crazy. And I’m pretty sure Michael’s not doing so great, either.” Dan nods at Max’s words, a contemplative look on his face. “And Lando, you’re okay with this?” Dan asks one final time. Lando nods a little. “I don’t really wanna be alone with him for a while, at the start. But maybe he can come to packnight again on Saturday?”

The other pack members nod along and Dan seems to finally give in. Lando feels his heart rate pick up a little. He’s gonna be seeing Michael again..

~~

The lead up to the night is a little awkward, at first. Everyone seems on edge, even though they all agree Michael should come back. Lando feels a little silly that he couldn’t figure out what to wear for about an hour, but in the end he opted for comfort and showed up at Dan’s in a hoodie. Dan is the only one who’s not nervous, but maybe that’s just because he wants to be a good pack Alpha and be a steady rock for all of them. Dan had texted Michael just last night, and the other had been really grateful and promised to be there at eight.

It was five minutes to eight, and the whole pack was already cuddled up on couches. Daniel had asked them to keep one couch clear, making it clear that Michael was not back in, yet, and wouldn’t be allowed near Dan’s pack tonight. The knock on the door freezes them all up a little. They all look at Daniel, who glances around to make sure everyone is okay before slowly getting up. The front door is visible from the living room, and everyone stares at it until Dan opens it.

Michael is _there._ He looks like shit. His hair is on point, so he’s put some effort in, but there’s a big bruise around his left eye from where Dan punched him. It looks a little green, but most of all it looks painful. Other than that, Michael still looks as beautiful as always. Lando can feel his heart beating in his ears and his hands turn a little sweaty. He’s almost as nervous as the first time he and Michael went on their coffee date. He’s not scared, just nervous, but Max grabs his hand either way. 

The first thing Michael does when the door is opened is bare his throat to the pack Alpha, as a sign of respect and submission. Dan growls a little, stating dominance. There’s awkward silence as Dan eyes Michael up. Lando starts to think Dan might actually send Michael away, but then he steps aside and the whole pack breathes a sigh of relief. 

Michael walks in and sits on the empty couch when Dan nods to it. The atmosphere is tense, but Lando can tell Michael is trying his hardest not to let it get to him. The bruises on his face twist Lando’s gut, he tries not to feel too guilty about them. 

The evening goes okay after that. Michael is isolated on his couch while the others cuddle each other, but everyone can feel the love radiating from him. They watch a couple of movies and eat some snacks, and after a while it almost starts to feel normal again.

Daniel is tense, though. He has his eye on Michael the entire time, and Lando fears for their friendship. Those fears dissipate when he overhears them talking in the kitchen. 

“Thank you. For having me here, tonight. For trusting me again, even if just a little.” He hears Michael say. He sneaks closer to the cracked door, trying to overhear. “You’re like my brother, Michael, I-... I’m glad the others wanted you back. It kills me, not having you here.” There’s emotion in Dan’s voice and Lando feels his heart soften. He goes back to the living room with a smile on his face as he hears them embrace.

The evening comes to an end and everyone glances at Daniel. This is the moment. Will Michael be allowed to stay for pack cuddles? 

Lando feels his heart beating in his chest as he waits. He wants Michael. His heart reaches out to him and he wants to get to know him more and go on more dates and cuddle with him and eat ice cream with him at one in the morning and-

“You can stay.” 

Everyone erupts into loud cheers around him, but all Lando can do is smile widely at the man on the couch, who’s staring right back at him. 


End file.
